The pair contributed 23 goals between them during the last campaign before Carroll left for Liverpool in January and skipper Nolan headed for West Ham over the summer.

However, Gosling served up a timely reminder of his own potency with a double in the reserves' 6-0 demolition of Norwich yesterday and is convinced he can help out on that front if manager Alan Pardew gives him the first-team chance he has craved for so long.

Gosling said: "I will bring a lot of energy and I want to bring some goals to the midfield as well.

"We have lost 12 goals in Kevin Nolan, so if can some goals and help the team, hopefully we will be all right."

Newcastle have enjoyed a more than solid start to the new Barclays Premier League campaign and currently sit in fourth place in the table with a return of eight points from the first 12 they have contested.

However, while they have conceded only one league goal in four games, they have scored just three themselves, and they created little of note in Monday night's 0-0 draw at promoted QPR.

Pardew, of course, was disappointed not to land the striker he had been chasing ever since Carroll's departure when the transfer window closed at the end of last month, and the task of scoring the goals the Magpies need to book a third successive top-flight campaign now rests with frontmen Shola Ameobi, Leon Best, Demba Ba and Peter Lovenkrands.

However, the manager will hope the likes of Hatem Ben Arfa, when he returns to full fitness, Gabriel Obertan, Yohan Cabaye, Sylvain Marveaux, Sammy Ameobi and Gosling can also chip in to get the total ticking over.

Obertan, Cabaye and Marveaux were all drafted in during the summer to add competition for places in midfield, and Gosling knows he faces a fight to force his way into Pardew's plans.

The 21-year-old arrived at St James' Park from Everton last summer with a knee injury Newcastle knew would sideline him for some time, but to date, he has made only two Premier League league appearances, both of them as a substitute against Sunderland, and one start in the Carling Cup win at Scunthorpe last month.

He said: "There is a lot of competition, but at a big club like we are, there is going to be competition.

"There's going to be competition at every club in the Premier League. It's healthy, it keeps you on your toes and only brings out the best in you.

"That's always going to happen. There are comings and goings every year.

"The lads who are here now are great lads - the lads the manager has brought in are all brilliant lads and great players as well, so hopefully we will have a good season."

The sale of Nolan, Joey Barton's free transfer move to QPR and keeper Steve Harper's return to the bench with Tim Krul having claimed the number one spot, have prompted a significant change in the dressing room hierarchy at St James'.

However, there has been no apparent loss of the spirit which provided the foundation for an immediate return from the Championship and a successful first campaign back in the big time - a fact demonstrated by gutsy displays at both Sunderland and Loftus Road in recent weeks.

Gosling said: "We have still got great leaders in and around the place and great players as well, so we are all confident."

Meanwhile, most recent signing Davide Santon got 70 minutes under his belt for the second string as he attempts to put himself in contention for a start at left-back at Aston Villa on Saturday.